The Florida House opened the special session on railroad issues this morning down 34 of their 120 members. Most of the absences are from the chamber’s black caucus, which is hosting the annual National Black Caucus of State Legislators in Fort Lauderdale.

The flap over the schedule has raised tensions in the chamber. In a letter asking to be excused for the conference, designated House Democratic Leader Ron Saunders implied insensitivity from House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, and said it was “unfair” to members of his caucus.

Predictably, Saunders’ letter was not well received by Republicans.

“So Ron Saunders is joining the Black Legislators Caucus since approximately 4 percent of his population is African-American and he wants to ‘learn of the issues that affect them.’ Is he also joining the Republican Caucus since his constituent population has over 40 percent Republicans and he should learn the issues that affect them too?” Rep. Ron Renuart. R-Ponte Vedre Beach, told The Palm Beach Post.

In other House business this morning:

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Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, confirmed this morning that there are no plans to expand the call to debate a $20 million economic incentive package that Wyndcrest DD received from the state this summer.

“The speaker and I decided 10 days ago, two weeks ago, this (railroad issue) will be all that we can have our hands around probably in the tight timeline that we have and that we ought to just stick to that,” he said.

“I think Rep. Domino and the House could inform us if they feel like we really want to ask it of you but at this point the speaker hasn’t called.”

More here.

The Senate kicked off the special session this morning setting into motion a financial fix for Tri-Rail, a thumbs-up on a Central Florida commuter line and the possibility of bringing in billions of federal dollars for high-speed rail projects.

This is the third time around for the controversial Central Florida commuter project known as “SunRail.” The Senate killed the deal – already signed off on by the Department of Transportation – twice, most recently in May.

Critics in the Senate, led by Paula Dockery, objected to the deal in which the state will pay transportation giant CSX Inc. more than $500 million for 61 miles of track for the commuter line. CSX will still be operate its freight on the line in exchange for a payment to the state of $1 per year.

The SunRail deal died in the Senate during the regular legislative session by a 23-16 vote. Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, now apparently has 21 of the 40 senators on his side – just the amount he needs to get the bill passed.

Atwater said the legislation will bring thousands of jobs to the state and boost its flagging economy.

“This is indeed time for visionaries,” Atwater said during a brief opening session this morning. “A time when the people of florida are demanding action and are desperate for relief.”

The Senate is expected to vote on the bill on Tuesday.

Lawmakers are preparing to start a 10-day session on rail issues that in part could keep Tri-Rail on track.

The 49-page bill legislators will consider includes an extra $13 million to $15 million a year for Tri-Rail that’s been operating at a deficit since its inception two decades ago.

That’s “probably as good as we could get right now,” said Palm Beach County Commissioner Jeff Koons, who is also chairman of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority that oversees Tri-Rail.

That’s a big deal for leaders in Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Broward counties where Tri-Rail runs. Federal officials have threatened to ask the counties to give back more than $200 million if Tri-Rail service is cut back as officials there have threatened.

Tri-Rail is paid for by the state, rider fares and the three counties in which it runs – Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade.

But the commuter line used by 15,000 riders daily has operated in the red by about $15 million every year.

Leaders in the three counties say they don’t have the money to make up the deficit and state lawmakers have refused to grant them the $2 rental car surcharge (also known as a tax) they’ve sought to cover their losses.

Now, state lawmakers are willing to fork over $13 million to $15 million a year to keep Tri-Rail on track to prove to federal lawmakers that Florida is serious about commuter rail. That way, the state will have a better chance at getting some of the $8 billion in stimulus money for high-speed rail projects.

The money will come from gas taxes and other fuel fees and should qualify as a “dedicated funding source” federal officials are seeking, Palm Beach County Commissioner Jeff Koons said.

“I think we ended up in the middle in the sense that we didn’t get our funding source but then a reallocation of those dollars is probably as good as we could get right now,” Koons said.

UPDATE: Crist’s office says they’ve removed the mistake from the message.

Listen to the call here

In a message callers hear when they get put on hold after calling Gov. Charlie Crist, Crist transposes a couple of numbers and turns the phone number for Florida KidCare into the number you’d call for “hot, horny girls.”

Interestingly, the recording on sex chat line has found its way into numerous news outlets:

*A misprint in the West Palm Beach annual report on water quality directed readers to the recording.

*A former Medicare info line in Pittsburgh now directs callers to the recording.

*San Francisco drivers who called the number listed in the phone book for FasTrack (their version of SunPass) were greeted by the sultry voice.
*An 888 number in Virgina that lets residents sign up to be notified when convicted sex offenders moved into their neighborhoods was printed as “1-800″ number and callers heard the same thing that Floridians interested in KidCare hear:

“Hey there, sexy guy. Welcome to an exciting new way to go live, one on one, with hot, horny girls waiting right now to talk to you.”

Citrus County Sheriff Jeffrey J. Dawsy threw his support to state Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, in the state attorney general race. Announcement here.

The Democratic Governorss Association says Florida is one of at least five states where it will spend $1 million next year to warn voters about the “failed ideas” of the GOP. Attorney General Bill McCollum, the GOP frontrunner for the governor’s nomination, is featured in the ad above.

State Attorneys Katherine Fernandez Rundle of the 11th Circuit (Dade County) and Dennis Ward of the 16th (Monroe) endorsed state Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach in his race for attorney general. They are the first two state attorneys to announce endorsements in the race.

See the release here.

House Speaker Larry Cretul’s offer to black lawmakers who will miss the first two days of the special session because of a conference they are attending is not a compromise, his spokeswoman Jill Chamberlain said.

And if there was any doubt, Cretul made it clear at a press conference this afternoon that the lawmakers should be in Tallahassee as they are constitutionally required.

“I’ve been doing this a long time, both at the local level and now for the past seven years at the state level.
This job comes with a lot of demands and a lot of requirements. And oftentimes some inconvenience, an inconvenience on both a personal level and a professional level,” Cretul, R-Ocala, said. “It’s just part of the job. Any time that you’re elected or have a role of responsibility you have to keep in focus just what the duties of the responsibility are…It is our job as being part of the Florida Legislature. It is our job not only constitutionally but personally to be sure that we don’t inconvenience and neglect what we’re here for.”

The black members are hosting the National Black Caucus of State Legislators’ annual conference in Ft. Lauderdale, an event that began today and lasts through Saturday. Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, is chairing the gala which was two years in the planning.

Cretul said he’s letting two members participate in a committee meeting tomorrow by telephone and will hold a briefing late Sunday or early Monday for any members who want to attend.

And he’ll allow them to file amendments on the floor.

But Cretul already had planned the briefing and would have allowed the floor amendments anyway, Chamberlain said, even before House Democrats began demanding that the session be delayed until Monday to accommodate the black caucus.

Cretul insisted time constraints determined that the session would have to begin tomorrow and end by next Friday.

The proposal from Rep. Carl Domino, R-Jupiter, would require the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee to investigate the application for an economic incentive package that Wyndcrest Holdings submitted to Gov. Charlie Crist’s office.

Wyndcrest owns Digital Domain, a special effects company that has won awards for its work but also lost millions of dollars in 2008. It’s application is not considered a public record.

The bill would require the committee to review the vetting process from Crist’s Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development and determine whether the office’s questions “were answered truthfully.”

Domino hopes the legislature will take up the bill during a special session devoted to passenger rail issues scheduled to start Thursday. At this point, he would need a unanimous vote from the House and Senate to waive the rules and take up the bill.

Read the draft of Domino’s bill here.

House Speaker Larry Cretul offered a compromise of sorts with black lawmakers after refusing to delay the special session to accommodate a scheduling conflict.

The black members are hosting the National Black Caucus of State Legislators’ annual conference in Ft. Lauderdale, an event that began today. Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, is chairing the gala which was two years in the planning.
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House Democrats asked Cretul repeatedly to postpone the session, which begins Thursday and lasts through next Friday, until the conference ends this weekend.

He turned them down saying that he had promised Senate President Jeff Atwater the House would send a bill over to the Senate by Monday afternoon.

Now, Cretul is having a briefing session for the black lawmakers – all but one of whom are Democrats – next week and will allow them to offer amendments to the bill on second and third reading.

“They weren’t backing down. We weren’t backing down. So this avoided a confrontation,” said Rep. Joe Gibbons, D-Hallandale Beach, who is attending the conference.
But, he added: “We’re not happy with it.”

He said it was disrespectful of GOP legislative leaders to schedule the special session during the time when they knew the conference was taking place.

Cretul and Atwater have offered excused absences for black lawmakers who are at the event.

“We would be totally embarrassed, nationally, by not being here. We have people from the White House here, from Congress here, from all over the nation,” Gibbons said. “It would be like we invite them to dinner at our house and then we’re not going to be home.”

While Gov. Charlie Crist is skipping a Florida TaxWatch forum in Palm Beach today, his campaign isn’t missing a chance to swipe at his U.S. Senate Republican primary opponent. From campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul:

Once again, as Marco Rubio speaks to TaxWatch today, I would like to remind everyone that while his words might sound credible, his record certainly is not. From supporting the largest tax increase in Florida history to the hundreds of thousands Rubio has squandered in taxpayer dollars, there are good reasons Rubio has tried to hide his record.

Read the press release here.

The Florida Supreme Court this morning agreed to empanel a statewide grand jury to investigate political corruption. The decision comes at the request of Gov. Charlie Crist and just two days after the court rejected Crist’s initial request.

Read the court order here.

It looks like only one of the three Republicans who want to replace Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler in a special election turned in enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot without paying a $9,912 filing fee.

According to unofficial totals from the Palm Beach County elections office and official Broward County numbers, financial planner Joe Budd met the goal of 1,163 signatures from voters who live in Wexler’s congressional District 19 while retired police officer Curt Price and contractor Ed Lynch did not.

Both Price and Lynch said they plan to contact the elections offices to inquire about rejected petitions. They can still get on the ballot by paying the filing fee by noon Friday. Democrats Ted Deutch and Ben Graber plan to qualify by paying the fee. Nonpartisan candidates can qualify by paying a $6,608 fee.

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From The Palm Beach Post editorial board:

Florida doesn’t need a statewide grand jury on political corruption, but the state could use one on political pandering. Gov. Crist would draw the first indictment.

Rest here.

Designated House Democratic Leader Ron Saunders, R-Key West, requested an excused absence from the first two days of a special session this week in order to attend the National Black Caucus of Black Legislators.

Democrats asked Republican leaders to delay the start of the session in order to attend the conference. But House Speaker Larry Cretul and Senate President Jeff Atwater have said the timing of the session was to avoid Hanukkah and Christmas holidays.

From Saunders’ letter:

My legislative district has over 6,000 black constituents. Therefore, I am today joining the Florida Legislative Black Caucus and will be attending the National Black Caucus of State Legislators annual conference on December 3 and 4 in Fort Lauderdale to learn more about important issues affecting my constituents.

PALM BEACH — Attorney General and 2010 Republican governor candidate Bill McCollum called for low taxes, “common-sense regulation,” improved education and “meaningful, significant litigation reform” in remarks to Florida TaxWatch’s annual meeting this morning at The Breakers.

Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, the presumed Democratic nominee for governor next year, couldn’t attend the meeting because of a scheduling conflict but plans to appear by video, a spokeswoman said.

Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio is scheduled to deliver the luncheon keynote speech today. His GOP Senate primary rival, Gov. Charlie Crist, was invited but can’t appear because he’s getting ready for the special legislative session that begins Thursday.

After three months of deliberations, President Obama on Tuesday night announced plans to send 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan and to begin withdrawing U.S. forces in July 2011.

Gov. Charlie Crist, seeking the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in 2010, reacted via Twitter late Tuesday and his GOP primary rival, former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, weighed in early this morning.

Read their reactions after the jump……
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President Obama tonight ordered 30,000 more U.S. troops to be deployed in Afghanistan and pledged to begin withdrawing forces in 18 months.

The president delivered a prime-time speech from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

Some Florida reactions after the jump…..

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Fresh off vacation, Palm Beach County Commission Chairman Burt Aaronson said a casino might be just the boost the embattled Glades region needs.

“It is something to think about,” he said.

Aaronson, a cruise maven and tourism booster, also said the county should do more to help bring slots to the Palm Beach Kennel Club. The club, he said, has been at a “disadvantage” since state lawmakers allowed Broward’s parimutuel facilities to have slots. (more…)